Police warning to parents following Snapchat update

Police forces across the country have raised child safety concerns about a new Snapchat feature that reveals users’ locations amid fears it could be used for stalking.

Users of the app can now share the exact location, including homes, of where they are when they use Snapchat.

The new “Snap Map” means people can view the area, town, and street where users are, and they can even zoom in enough to see houses.

People can locate their “friends” on a map and lets users search for places such as schools and see videos and pictures posted by children inside.

Snap, the company behind Snapchat, said the location sharing was an opt-in feature and “ghost mode” can be enabled so location is not shared.

Launched on Wednesday, Snap Map has been promoted as a “new way to explore the world”.

However, parents and schools are concerned the new feature will lend itself to predators.

A spokesperson for the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children said: “It’s worrying that Snapchat is allowing under 18s to broadcast their location on the app where it can potentially be accessed by everyone in their contact lists.

“With public accounts, this will include those who are not known to the user. This highlights why it’s vital children are automatically offered safer accounts on social media to ensure they are protected from unnecessary risks.”